VErses the Inevitable
Daniel Hertel Interview
Q: Verses The Inevitable have only been together for about a year yet the album showcases a distinct sound. Did the band discuss what type of music you were going to play or did this happen naturally once in the rehearsal studio?
A: Before we went into the studio setting we had cut a demo EP which consisted of six tracks. The demo was self-titled and we released three tracks on CD and a fourth bonus track on Bandcamp. The demo was a three-piece live recording acoustic, harmonica and lead guitar. Using the demo we had managed to book some shows around Denver and began recruiting some other musicians including Jeremy Johnson on bass, Dan Crecco on drums and Braden Rauen on fiddle. This was the beginning of the development of our sound and gave us a rough idea of how we would arrange the song structure in a studio setting. I was interviewing sound engineers and was introduced to Alex Tyler. Alex had worked in a studio out in LA and also had a studio out in Fort Collins years ago. He was just getting his studio up and running in Aurora and he was eager to work on this project. From the moment I met Alex I had a feeling that we would click in a studio environment.
Day one in the studio consisted of Alex, Jeremy Johnson, Dan Crecco, and I trying to figure out how we would structure the songs for the recording. This was not easy and I definitely had my doubts after the first couple of sessions. We started with acoustic and vocal scratch tracks, then added drums, and then added the bass tracks. We then edited down the bass and drum tracks and got our final acoustic track layered over the top. Once we had eight tracks drums, bass, acoustic, and some scratch vocals down we brought in Braden Rauen on fiddle.
Braden was incredible and did two full studio days with us. We had not heard Braden play the material before he came in and was given complete creative control over what he played during those first two days. His work on Running With Scissors and Ataloosa were particularly impressive to me because I had never played those tracks for anyone before the recording, and he really put his mark on those songs. We then brought in Mad Dog Friedman on harmonica and gave him the same direction we gave Braden which was very minimal. We wanted Braden and Mad Dog to play through the entire album and have almost complete creative control during their first two days in the studio.
Once we had gotten two months into the project we started to realize the true potential of the sound we were creating. Alex and I agreed that if we could get a slide guitarist in the studio we might really have something unique if we could pull it all together. I got the rough copy of the mix to Randall Conrad Olinger an incredible swampy slide guitarist who is based out of Colorado. He loved the songs and two weeks later he was in the studio adding his distinctive slide work to the album. At this point in the process Alex and I had almost had too much material if that could be possible. We put together a preliminary mix of what we had and although interesting it may have been a little too busy with sound and not defined enough for an album.
I was leaving in a week to go backpacking in Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam for six weeks so we decided to leave the mix where it was until I returned to the US. I think that six week break was the best thing we could have done because when I returned Alex and I were reenergized and had fresh ears for the project. We decided we would bring in Mad Dog and Braden for one more session each and have clearly defined spaces that we needed them to be in. Specifically coming in and out of dual solos, and cleaning up a few solo, intro and outro spots we had designated as really important.
Final steps included bringing in Madalynn Rose on female vocals, who is an incredible talent, and really blew us away in her two days in the studio. We had Harry Burgwyn come in and clean up his electric guitar solo work on “Wendover.” Last but not least Alex Tyler layed down some beautiful piano/organ work in spots throughout the album and his work on “Ataloosa" really completed a song we had a lot of trouble defining.
So I think I had an idea of what I wanted this album to sound like before we went in to the studio. However, once we allowed a free flow of creative ideas inside the studio it really allowed for a natural progression toward this distinct sound that came out of the process. I think a big key to success in the studio is to allow everyone to be completely free with their creative expression. At some point you may need to bring a musician back in to play in more defined areas of the album but I think initially that free form structure really allows an album to take shape naturally. I believe this is a very good formula for creating an album that is truly creatively different from what is out there.
A: Before we went into the studio setting we had cut a demo EP which consisted of six tracks. The demo was self-titled and we released three tracks on CD and a fourth bonus track on Bandcamp. The demo was a three-piece live recording acoustic, harmonica and lead guitar. Using the demo we had managed to book some shows around Denver and began recruiting some other musicians including Jeremy Johnson on bass, Dan Crecco on drums and Braden Rauen on fiddle. This was the beginning of the development of our sound and gave us a rough idea of how we would arrange the song structure in a studio setting. I was interviewing sound engineers and was introduced to Alex Tyler. Alex had worked in a studio out in LA and also had a studio out in Fort Collins years ago. He was just getting his studio up and running in Aurora and he was eager to work on this project. From the moment I met Alex I had a feeling that we would click in a studio environment.
Day one in the studio consisted of Alex, Jeremy Johnson, Dan Crecco, and I trying to figure out how we would structure the songs for the recording. This was not easy and I definitely had my doubts after the first couple of sessions. We started with acoustic and vocal scratch tracks, then added drums, and then added the bass tracks. We then edited down the bass and drum tracks and got our final acoustic track layered over the top. Once we had eight tracks drums, bass, acoustic, and some scratch vocals down we brought in Braden Rauen on fiddle.
Braden was incredible and did two full studio days with us. We had not heard Braden play the material before he came in and was given complete creative control over what he played during those first two days. His work on Running With Scissors and Ataloosa were particularly impressive to me because I had never played those tracks for anyone before the recording, and he really put his mark on those songs. We then brought in Mad Dog Friedman on harmonica and gave him the same direction we gave Braden which was very minimal. We wanted Braden and Mad Dog to play through the entire album and have almost complete creative control during their first two days in the studio.
Once we had gotten two months into the project we started to realize the true potential of the sound we were creating. Alex and I agreed that if we could get a slide guitarist in the studio we might really have something unique if we could pull it all together. I got the rough copy of the mix to Randall Conrad Olinger an incredible swampy slide guitarist who is based out of Colorado. He loved the songs and two weeks later he was in the studio adding his distinctive slide work to the album. At this point in the process Alex and I had almost had too much material if that could be possible. We put together a preliminary mix of what we had and although interesting it may have been a little too busy with sound and not defined enough for an album.
I was leaving in a week to go backpacking in Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam for six weeks so we decided to leave the mix where it was until I returned to the US. I think that six week break was the best thing we could have done because when I returned Alex and I were reenergized and had fresh ears for the project. We decided we would bring in Mad Dog and Braden for one more session each and have clearly defined spaces that we needed them to be in. Specifically coming in and out of dual solos, and cleaning up a few solo, intro and outro spots we had designated as really important.
Final steps included bringing in Madalynn Rose on female vocals, who is an incredible talent, and really blew us away in her two days in the studio. We had Harry Burgwyn come in and clean up his electric guitar solo work on “Wendover.” Last but not least Alex Tyler layed down some beautiful piano/organ work in spots throughout the album and his work on “Ataloosa" really completed a song we had a lot of trouble defining.
So I think I had an idea of what I wanted this album to sound like before we went in to the studio. However, once we allowed a free flow of creative ideas inside the studio it really allowed for a natural progression toward this distinct sound that came out of the process. I think a big key to success in the studio is to allow everyone to be completely free with their creative expression. At some point you may need to bring a musician back in to play in more defined areas of the album but I think initially that free form structure really allows an album to take shape naturally. I believe this is a very good formula for creating an album that is truly creatively different from what is out there.
Q: Daniel Hertel-Words is the songwriter of the band. Can you talk a little bit about how the rest of the members figure out what they are going to be playing?
A: The rest of the guys have almost complete creative control over what they are doing onstage as long as they are following the drummer, bassist and myself. I think we have a pretty good idea of our sound now and so that gives us a lot of latitude on stage to be creative, and give the audience a show that is unique each time they come out and check us out. Our basic song structure is pretty simple and so that also allows us to perform with different musicians, and be really creative. In the last show we had dueling fiddlers and a tenor saxophone sit in with us for the whole set. It's a lot of fun playing music when there is that real sense of freedom of expression.
Q: One of my favorite tracks was “Mangrove.” Can you provide insight to how this song came about?
A: At its heart “Mangrove” is a story of love that you have to keep hidden away. I guess the feeling of longing for someone you can't have can be a very powerful emotion and can really drive a person crazy. It is the feeling of wanting to run away with someone and find peace in a different place. I wrote this song out in Salida, Co. I was camping by myself, and had a eureka moment out in the middle of nowhere. I definitely think everyone can relate to having feelings for someone, confessing them and still not being able to be together. But it’s also hopeful in that maybe one day you will find peace and happiness with that person even if society or situations drive you apart in the present. "Peace wains like the moons phases, steadily seeking homeostasis. One day it will chase us, tripping on our shoelaces, too stubborn for social graces."
Q: All Debts Paid contains a mix of country, rock and pop. I think it's fair to say Americana runs deep through these songs. Are there any American bands that directly influenced your sound?
A: I think after listening to the album for the last few months I can definitely see some influence of Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Allman Brothers, and the Band. For my songwriting I was inspired growing up by Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison, Paul Simon and Willie Nelson.
Q: The band is newly formed. How much touring do you have planned for the year?
A: Honestly I really am working on playing bigger venues in Denver, and getting a band together that is cohesive enough to hit the road. I think short term plans for next spring and summer will be to tour around Colorado and play at the festivals in state. I would love to play South by Southwest in Texas but we will see what happens between now and next March. I am really thankful at where I am at right now, and I just want to be calculated in our movements going forward because touring is expensive when you are an independent band.
Q: I have to ask about the cover art. Is there any meaning we should know about behind the art work?
A: Of course the beauty of the cover art is the different meanings it can have for each person who looks at it. I think we as a people are some of the hardest working people in the world. We start school at 5, get a job at 14, and work till we are 65. While we are busy working we try and squeeze in love, maybe start a family, but most importantly we accumulate debt. Now this debt can be financial (houses,cars,credit cards) or it can be emotional (love you never acted on, places you never went to see, dreams you never chased). Either way I think that societal forces have impregnated our brains with these ideas of how we are supposed to live. But a lot of times we end up getting old and staying in debt until death takes us back into the earth. I think we as humans should start living more consciously and don't let life pass us by. Chase a dream, live out your adventures, tell someone you love them and most importantly don't wait till it’s too late to free yourself from the bonds both economic and emotional. The outside and inside artwork was drawn by a friend of mine Dustin McNa a local artist out of Denver, Colorado.
A: The rest of the guys have almost complete creative control over what they are doing onstage as long as they are following the drummer, bassist and myself. I think we have a pretty good idea of our sound now and so that gives us a lot of latitude on stage to be creative, and give the audience a show that is unique each time they come out and check us out. Our basic song structure is pretty simple and so that also allows us to perform with different musicians, and be really creative. In the last show we had dueling fiddlers and a tenor saxophone sit in with us for the whole set. It's a lot of fun playing music when there is that real sense of freedom of expression.
Q: One of my favorite tracks was “Mangrove.” Can you provide insight to how this song came about?
A: At its heart “Mangrove” is a story of love that you have to keep hidden away. I guess the feeling of longing for someone you can't have can be a very powerful emotion and can really drive a person crazy. It is the feeling of wanting to run away with someone and find peace in a different place. I wrote this song out in Salida, Co. I was camping by myself, and had a eureka moment out in the middle of nowhere. I definitely think everyone can relate to having feelings for someone, confessing them and still not being able to be together. But it’s also hopeful in that maybe one day you will find peace and happiness with that person even if society or situations drive you apart in the present. "Peace wains like the moons phases, steadily seeking homeostasis. One day it will chase us, tripping on our shoelaces, too stubborn for social graces."
Q: All Debts Paid contains a mix of country, rock and pop. I think it's fair to say Americana runs deep through these songs. Are there any American bands that directly influenced your sound?
A: I think after listening to the album for the last few months I can definitely see some influence of Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Allman Brothers, and the Band. For my songwriting I was inspired growing up by Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison, Paul Simon and Willie Nelson.
Q: The band is newly formed. How much touring do you have planned for the year?
A: Honestly I really am working on playing bigger venues in Denver, and getting a band together that is cohesive enough to hit the road. I think short term plans for next spring and summer will be to tour around Colorado and play at the festivals in state. I would love to play South by Southwest in Texas but we will see what happens between now and next March. I am really thankful at where I am at right now, and I just want to be calculated in our movements going forward because touring is expensive when you are an independent band.
Q: I have to ask about the cover art. Is there any meaning we should know about behind the art work?
A: Of course the beauty of the cover art is the different meanings it can have for each person who looks at it. I think we as a people are some of the hardest working people in the world. We start school at 5, get a job at 14, and work till we are 65. While we are busy working we try and squeeze in love, maybe start a family, but most importantly we accumulate debt. Now this debt can be financial (houses,cars,credit cards) or it can be emotional (love you never acted on, places you never went to see, dreams you never chased). Either way I think that societal forces have impregnated our brains with these ideas of how we are supposed to live. But a lot of times we end up getting old and staying in debt until death takes us back into the earth. I think we as humans should start living more consciously and don't let life pass us by. Chase a dream, live out your adventures, tell someone you love them and most importantly don't wait till it’s too late to free yourself from the bonds both economic and emotional. The outside and inside artwork was drawn by a friend of mine Dustin McNa a local artist out of Denver, Colorado.